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| Jacob and Alice Smith - 2 Summer Babies |
A review of the primary school curriculum is currently underway looking at the benefits of allowing summer-born children to start school later.
At present, children born in the summer months start school at a disadvantage to older more confident peers – a disadvantage that's proven to continue through school.
In a letter to the head of the primary curriculum assessment, Schools Secretary Ed Balls writes: 'Entry to primary school can be problematic for summer-born children. For example, summer-born children are up to a year younger than their classmates when they sit tests at the end of each key stage. This can affect their performance right through school age. I would like your review to give particular consideration to how we can design the curriculum to improve outcomes for summer-born children.'
All three of Mr Balls' children were born in the summer months.
The review will also look at making lessons for the early years in primary school, less prescriptive – with more play built in for the youngest pupils.
January 2008
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